Walter Foster Studio

Creating Patterns

Surfboard Design

"Doodling is a carefree, relaxing style of illustration that can add whimsy to your artwork. Repeating patterns can help convey a theme or jazz up an existing design, but they are also wonderful as standalone projects." -Stephanie Corfee

With spring on the horizon I can't seem to get sunny weather, lazy days spent on the beach, and just about anything that involves being outside off my mind. Somewhere it must be sunny and 75, right? With all those thoughts in mind, I'm beginning my newest art adventure: designing and painting a surf board.

To get some pattern ideas flowing, I looked to Creative Illustration & Beyond by Stephanie Corfee. My first attempt reminded me of making a snowflake pattern like I did every year in school as a child. Starting with a central star, flower, snowflake or even a dot and repeating a design around the starting point, the pattern seemed to form itself.

Using markers and an ink pen I began to expand the design and ended up finding the movement and tempo therapeutic. For the actual surfboard I will need to use an acrylic based paint/paint marker(s) because I will be painting directly onto fiber glass, but basic markers worked perfectly for gathering the design on paper.

My favorite patterns came out of mixing color with a black marker. I found the designs really started to pop when I used black to outline an area that looked like it needed that something extra.

Be fearless with this pattern play; the patterns were very forgiving, and if I did make a mistake or design that I didn't like I just kept going. It turned out that the more details I added the more I liked it.

Kristen is an artist living in Norfolk, VA. She is happiest with a cup of coffee in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. A sucker for a sweet sunrise and an unexpected adventure, Kristen's latest inspirations include mermaids, dream catchers, and all things nautical.